A total of 963 people applied to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to become astronauts, after the agency began accepting applications for the first time in 10 years, officials said.

It's the fifth time since 1983 that there has been a screening for astronauts at the agency, and the number of applicants was reportedly the highest ever.

"Astronauts Takao Doi and Akihiko Hoshide both traveled consecutively on the U.S. space shuttle this year, and that probably caused interest to rise," a JAXA representative said.

A total of 839 men and 124 women applied. Nearly 70 percent of them were aged between 30 and 40.

JAXA accepted applications between April 1 and June 20.

Robert PearlmanEditor

Posts: 27328From: Houston, TXRegistered: Nov 1999

posted 03-02-2009 04:18 PM
JAXA announced on February 25 the selection of Takuya Onishi, 33, and Kimiya Yui, 39, as Japan's new astronaut candidates.

Kimiya Yui and Takuya Ohnishi

New JAXA astronaut candidates selected!

JAXA has been recruiting and selecting new astronaut candidates who are expected to stay on the International Space Station (ISS) to operate the ISS. Today, we are pleased to announce that two candidates were selected.

They will go through training for two years as a candidate, and if they become certified after the training, they will officially become astronauts. Upon receiving certification, if they are selected as an ISS onboard astronaut, they will further undergo some mission-specific training for about two years, then they will be stationed at the ISS for up to six months. At the ISS, they are expected to be in charge of operations and maintenance of the ISS including the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo" and carrying out various space experiment missions.

Tokyo-native Onishi entered ANA [All Nippon Airways] after graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo in 1998. He currently works as a copilot for Boeing 767 planes on routes in Asia.

Yui, from Nagano Prefecture, enrolled at the ASDF [Air Self-Defense Force] after graduating from the National Defense Academy in 1992. He has piloted a F-15 fighter, and currently works in the Air Staff Office's Defense Planning Division.

Robert PearlmanEditor

Posts: 27328From: Houston, TXRegistered: Nov 1999

posted 09-08-2009 02:17 AM
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced the selection of a new astronaut candidate, Lt. Norishige Kanai, 32, a Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) doctor. He was chosen from among the 963 Japanese citizens who applied for the astronaut candidate position last year.

Kanai will join Kimiya Yui and Takuya Ohnishi to train at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Photo credit: JAXA/MSDF

JAXA Selects An Additional Astronaut Candidate for ISS Crewmember

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has decided to hire another astronaut candidate who is on the list of the back-up candidate.

He will join Yui Kimiya and Takuya Onishi, who had been hired in April this year, in the training together. Therefore, the three will train for two years in the astronaut candidate training course and will be certified as astronaut upon completion of the training. When assigned to a mission, the assigned astronaut will receive mission specific training and stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to operate / maintain ISS, including the Japanese Experiment Module "Kibo", and conduct various space experiments.

Kanai is scheduled to report to JAXA on September 12, when he will take part in orientation sessions in Japan before participating in NASA's astronaut candidate training course for two years.

Robert PearlmanEditor

Posts: 27328From: Houston, TXRegistered: Nov 1999

posted 08-31-2011 10:20 AM
JAXA announced on July 26 that Kimiya Yui, Takuya Onishi and Norishige Kanai are now certified as astronauts and ready to serve on International Space Station expedition crews.

Certification for ISS onboard astronaut

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been providing basic training to be certified as an astronaut for the International Space Station (ISS) to astronaut candidates Kimiya Yui, and Takuya Onishi since April 2009, and also to astronaut candidate Norishige Kanai since September 2009. The three candidates have completed all their basic training requirements, thus they were certified as ISS astronauts on July 25, 2011.

The three will further participate in training to improve their knowledge and techniques as astronauts mainly at the NASA Johnson Space Center as well as in Japan and other countries.